Brazil Votes in a Run-off Between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians are voting in a presidential run-off between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 80, who lost the first round, and the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 45. Polls close at 20:00 GMT and results are expected within hours. The first-round gap was the narrowest ever recorded, at less than 2% of the vote.
After voting in Rio de Janeiro, Mr Bolsonaro said: “I think the time has come for real change. Brazil can’t take another four years the way things are.” Mr Lula, voting in São Bernardo do Campo, said of the rallies that swept the country in his support: “What the people have done for me in these past few days is something I can never repay.” The challenger is the eldest son of Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest serving 27 years for attempting a coup, and has promised to pardon him. Abstention reached a record in the first round, so Lula’s campaign has concentrated on turnout among an electorate of about 159 million.